Echoes of the Heart
by aznchika
Summary: Zhen Ji/Cao Pi. Love, life, or loyalty? When it comes down to it, what does one choose?
1. Meeting Him

Author's Note:

Thank you for choosing my fic to read! To those who follow my writing, a big thank you to you! It truly helps knowing that somewhere, someone is actually taking the time to read my work. Thanks again!

I've always been interested in the lives of the females in the Three Kingdoms era. I don't feel that there's enough back story to the women's lives, but that is a good thing in a way as it gives me a little creative room. Truth be told, I am a SSX/LB fan. After I finished my fanfic, _Arranged Love_, I had considered writing another one about them, but my story ideas seemed to fall short of my expectations. While writing _Arranged Love_, I had an idea to write a story about each of the main women of DW and I somehow came up with Zhen Ji's story. So, I decided to take a stab at it! I hope you enjoy!

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Echoes of the Heart

Chapter 1 – Meeting Him

"I'm sorry my daughter, I have ruined your life even before you started it." A man said as he stared at his young daughter with tears building in his eyes.

The girl looked up at her father and forced a smile. "Father, you have done so much for me. No matter what I do, I can never repay you for giving life to me." She answered politely, knowing there was only one correct response.

The girl was about 11 years old with long dark hair flowing loosely in the air like all other maidens. A small beauty mark under her left eye accentuated her face. Her skin was flawless and she held the demure of a noble lady. It was clear that in time, she would grow to be a beauty.

"No." The man answered sadly. "Your father has failed you. What kind of father agrees to wed his daughter to ailing man?" He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You are a good daughter, you don't deserve this." He paused for a moment as a single tear fell from his eye. "But your mother left us too early and your father has lost the family fortune. Lord Yuan Shao is the only one who can help keep our family business running. I'm so sorry." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry."

The girl placed her hand on her father's face, and still with the forced smile replied, "I understand." She did understand, but that didn't mean she liked the idea. Who would want to marry a man who is constantly ill? But it was as her father said. If he didn't marry her off into the Yuan family, she and her father would have to live on the streets.

Her father gave her a weak smile. "I'll tell you what. Anything you want, I will try to give to you."

The little girl nodded her head vigorously as she faked excitement. Nothing could erase the dread she felt.

... ... ... ... ...

She had traveled with her father to the Hebei region in order for him to discuss "business", but the girl knew they had come to secure financial aid from Yuan Shao and to commit to the marriage arrangements. She was disheartened and prayed that some sort of act from the heavens would end the marriage arrangements and somehow let her father find money to continue the business. She knew it was all a hopeful dream, but she wanted to believe there would be more in her life than what her father was leading her to.

As they entered the marketplace, a shrill scream alarmed them. Surprisingly to them, no one else in the market bothered to look for the source. There in a dirty alleyway, the father and daughter duo saw several children surrounding something. Some of the kids were throwing rocks and others were kicking. All of them had a sickening smile to their face as they called out to whatever they surrounded. "Useless!" One shouted. "You should just die!" Another laughed as she threw a rock. "Stupid ugly pig." And the names seemed to get worse even though the little girl did not understand some of their words, but the tone was clear. All of the kids were dressed in dirty rags. There was no doubt these kids were beggars; homeless and likely orphans.

Watching them in utter surprise, the little girl managed to get a glimpse of what they surrounded; a little girl, younger than she. "Father!" She pulled on the sleeve of his shirt. "Father! You have to help that little girl!"

"What?" He asked in surprise. "They're beggars, it's none of our concern."

Looking at his eyes, she knew he meant to ignore them. But there was someone in pain and something must be done. "You said I could have anything I want right?"

"Well... yes, but..." before he could finished, she continued.

"I want that little girl to be my maid." She said as she pointed the poor figure in the center of the group. "Get her for me."

"Why do you want that filthy thing? Daughter, you can..."

"I want her! Father, you said I could get whatever I wanted. Were you... lying?"

Cursing himself for agreeing to such nonsense, he looked around him and found broomstick lying on the side of a building. He grabbed it and walked towards the kids. He whipped the broomstick against the side of the walls to make a loud snapping noise. The kids all looked up at him in surprise while he did it again. "Beat it!" He shouted in an angry and authoritative voice. "Beat it now, or I'll beat you!" The kids seem to pause for a moment contemplating whether to jump him or run. Seeing as he wore more elegant clothes, they decided to scatter. They realized that if they attacked a nobleman, they would all eventually get caught and be killed.

Soon all that was left was the little girl in the middle. She was curled up in a ball protecting her head and her arms and legs showed cuts and bruises all over. "Hey." He called out to her as friendly as possible. She stayed in that position for a few moments before she realized no one was hurting her anymore and looked up at him. "I am Zhen Yi." He said to her. "What is your name?"

Her eyes blurred from all the tears but she managed to squeak out, "Li Xiang." With her bruised arm and dirty sleeves, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Thank you for saving my life, sir."

When he saw her eyes, he was a little stunned and a bit afraid. "No. You should thank my daughter, she is the one who saved you." Without taking his eyes off of her, he waved for his daughter to come. He thought that one look at her, his daughter would change her mind about having her as a maid.

"Hello." His daughter greeted politely as she came to his side. She gasped when she saw the girl. "Your eyes!" She shouted in surprise. "They are green!"

A flood of new tears burst from the little girl's eyes. "Please don't hurt me!" She sobbed.

His daughter quickly took out her handkerchief and began wiping the tears away. Zhen Yi wretched a little seeing such a beautiful cloth touching a dirty and possibly diseased person.

"I won't hurt you." His daughter said reassuringly. Li Xiang seemed to believe her words as the tears slowed. "I think they're very beautiful."

"Really?" Li Xiang asked in surprise. "The other kids call me a demon. Especially since my eyes change to grey sometimes."

"They are very unique." It was true what she said though. Green eyes didn't exist with the Chinese people. And whatever they didn't know or could not explain, they would simply believe it was a demon or the act of a demon. This ultimately made people fear or hate the unknown.

Li Xiang gave a strained smile to the girl. "As you have saved my life, my life now belongs to you."

"You will be my daughter's personal maid. You will do everything she says without question and you were serve her with your life." Zhen Yi interrupted.

"Yes... my lord."

... ... ... ... ...

Li Xiang was eating her sixth steamed bun as she watched her mistress pull out a wooden flute and began to play a most lovely, but sad tune. Lord Zhen had left the girls in the marketplace as he rushed off to meet Yuan Shao. Although Xiang was a beggar, even she knew who Lord Yuan Shao was. He was the richest man in Hebei and she knew every morning, afternoon, and night he had tables and tables full of food. And it would be delicious food! Full of meat and things she didn't know what was what, but she was certain it would be tasty. She knew he would never go hungry, something that she experienced almost every day of her life. But now it would be different. Maybe now she would have a full belly when she slept. After all, her new mistress gave her six steamed buns. Six!

"What song is that?" Xiang asked with a mouthful of bun.

Her mistress stopped playing for a moment to respond. "It is called, 'My Home'. My mother used to sing me it all the time." She said sadly before resuming her song.

The two of them were sitting by the pier watching the vegetable lady washing her greens in an attempt to make them look fresher and thus easier to sell. Xiang had just finished her last bun when there was a crash at the pier. Startled, she jumped from her seat on the crate and saw a small boat crash into the pier. An intimidating man rushed off the boat clutching his head in pain as two other men attempted to help him walk onto the pier, but the intimidating one was thrashing his body about and shouting in pain.

This man looked very regal in a purple outfit and a flowing cape behind. He wore copper coloured shoulder pads that was embellished with gold. His mustache and beard were trimmed neatly and a sword hung on the side of his waist. Xiang was terrified of this man. His face wore a painful scowl and his shouts seemed to cause the earth to rumble. Her mistress on the other hand stopped playing the flute and observed the situation quietly.

"ARGH!" He shouted again, still clutching his head and thrashing around. He moved so roughly, he slammed into one of the men, causing him to fall down.

"Cousin," the man that was still standing spoke out. "Take a seat and try to relax. Your thrashing will make your headache worse." He was a big burly man.

"I need you to shut up or I`m going to slice your neck with my sword!" The man with the cape threatened as he fumbled with the sheath of his sword. Before he could pull out the sword, he screamed in pain again, and clutched his head once again.

"You should try dipping your head in cold water." Her mistress suddenly said.

"Mind your business little girl!" The burly man said as he reached to grab his own sword to threaten her.

"Get me cold water!" The man in the cape demanded.

"But my lord," The man that had been pushed began but was cut off by the caped man who was obviously the leader of the group.

"Get me the damn cold water!" He demanded again. "I will try anything to get rid of this pain!"

The burly man rushed to the vegetable lady and took her basin and dumped all the vegetables to the ground. He dipped the basin into the water and rushed back to his lord. He placed the basin onto a crate where the caped man bent over and sank the top of his head into it. He remained in the position for several moments as those around were silently, holding the breath and praying his pain was gone.

A few more moments passed before he pulled his head out of the water, no longer shouting. "Ah." He breathed in relief. Then he looked at Xiang's mistress. "What is your name, little girl."

"Zhen Ji, my lord." She said as she gave a polite bow.

"And where did you learn this?" He said as he gestured to the basin of cold water.

"My mother used to suffer from chronic headaches. This was a remedy for her."

The man stroked his beard thoughtfully as water dripped from his head. The other two men watched in silence. "How old are you, little Zhen Ji."

"I am eleven years old this coming moon, my lord." She replied.

The man stroked his beard again. "Intelligent, polite, and pretty." He seemed to conclude. "You know," he began as he approached her. "I have sons about your age." He grabbed her chin and tilted it up so he could see her more clearly. "I think you would make a good wife to one of them." The two men's jaws dropped open in surprise at their lord's words, but neither of them said anything.

"It would be an honour to have such a thing bestowed upon this humble child." she paused momentarily to find the right words. "Sadly, it is not I who can decide my fate in marriage as my father has already betrothed me to another." She said looking down, as if she was truly upset.

"Hmph." The man grunted in distaste. "And who are you betrothed to?"

"Yuan Xi, son of Yuan Shao."

"Yuan Shao." He repeated in amusement. "Yuan Shao." He said again, glancing back at his party. They too seemed a little amused by the name. "Well little Zhen Ji," He said as he reached into his breastplate for something. "Since you cannot be my daughter-in-law, let me give you this." He pulled out a rectangular gold plate and held it up for her to see. "This, my little dear, will protect you. Should anyone try to cause you harm, just hold this out for them to see."

He placed the gold plate into her hand and motioned for his men to go. They all boarded the boat and headed off as if they were never there. Zhen Ji took the plate and held it up into the sun. The gold shined brightly, but Zhen Ji could easily make out the words on it. _Cao Cao._

... ... ... ... ...

[Years Later, Yecheng]

Bells were ringing loudly, voices shouted, and screams could be heard. Servants and maids were running about in a crazed manner, grabbing whatever they could carry and running towards the back door. "Run for your lives!" Someone shouted. "Cao Cao's army has breached the gates! All is lost! Run for your lives!" One maid tripped and fell to the ground, but no one bothered to stop and help her up. In fact, people continued running, some stepping on her as if she wasn't there. A hand reached down and helped her up. Even though she was only on the ground for a short while, her arm was bruised, and her face was cut.

"Where is Lady Zhen?" She asked the maid.

"I saw her last near the bedchambers." The maid grabbed her arm and advised, "you should leave too Xiang, it's not safe here anymore."

Li Xiang shook her head. "I must find Lady Zhen first." She said before rushing off towards the bedchambers.

The shouting continued and warnings of the breach echoed everywhere throughout the Yuan household. _What is she doing there at the bedchambers?_ Xiang wondered. _There is no time to waste!_

The warning bells rang louder and faster signalling the enemy was close. "Lady Zhen! Lady Zhen!" Xiang shouted as she neared her mistress' bedchambers. The doors were flung open.

She raced into the rooms and found Zhen Ji gingerly opening a small case from under the bed. There was a sparkling hair piece in the box when she opened it. Xiang thought it was strange that her mistress would hide something like that under the bed when she had several other hair pieces that looked similar. However, Zhen Ji took the hair piece out and brushed her fingers to the edge as if looking for something. When she found the spot, she took the tip of the hairpiece and poked at the edge. Surprisingly, it revealed a false bottom. She pulled the piece out and saw a familiar gold plate sitting underneath. Zhen Ji took the plate in her hands and turned to Xiang.

"Xiang, take this," she handed the gold plate to her. "and take my mother-in-law and run as far from here as you can. This will protect you two if anyone should find you."

"But my lady!" Xiang protested. "Leave her, my lady. She was never kind to you anyway!"

"No, Xiang. It is my duty as her daughter-in-law to protect her. Go now Xiang, there isn't much time!"

"But what about you?"

"The Cao army is looking for Yuan blood. Someone in the Yuan household must..."

Zhen Ji didn't have to finish. Xiang knew what that meant. Zhen Ji was going to sacrifice herself so that the old crone could live. _How horrible._ Xiang thought to herself. _Duty means nothing._ "I cannot leave you my lady. I swore my life to you."

"Do you remember when my father was alive? Do you remember when we first met? You promised my father you would listen to me without question. You would do as I say. And I am saying now for you to take mother-in-law and run. She should be in the ancestor's hall. Go!" Zhen JI said as she pushed the girl out.

"Where will you go my lady?"

"The courtyard. I want... to be surrounded by beauty in my... last moments." She struggled to say. It was clear she was afraid of death, but somehow, 'duty' overwhelmed all other feelings. "Now go!" She said again.

The bells stopped ringing and moments later, a loud crash sounded. The Cao army had broken down the doors.

... ... ... ... ...

"Take all the women alive!" Shouted a burly man. He was dressed clad in heavy metal and held an equally heavy shield. Judging from his stature and armour, he was a general of high ranking.

"Yes, General Ren." Shouted the army of men behind him before another man interrupted.

"No! Kill them all! Leave no survivors!" Commanded a young handsome man. He wore a scowl on his face and carried a long sword. Despite his age, the men around feared him. Even the general, Cao Ren seemed to obey him. "Do as you wish with them, but leave no survivors." The men around him shouted in victory as they rushed to continue their onslaught.

"But Master Cao Pi, we can't risk killing Zhen Ji. Lord Cao Cao specifically wanted her brought back alive." Cao Ren whispered to Cao Pi so the other men could not hear. It was rude enough that he was questioning Cao Pi's leadership.

"You idiot." Cao Pi scoffed. "She is the lady of the house. She would be one of the first to escape."

Cao Ren nodded in understanding. It was reasonable and likely, but Cao Pi had an ulterior motive. He wanted Zhen Ji dead. Even though it was going against his father's wishes, he couldn't help it if someone 'accidentally' killed her without knowing it. And it would be easy to get out of it. He would plead ignorance to his father and at worse case, he would simply use one of his men as a scapegoat and put the blame on him. "Stupid wench." He cursed under his breath as he swung his sword on the fallen 'Yuan' plaque at the entrance of the house, splitting it into two. "Yuan." He said as he spat on the plaque. "Such cowards. Running away with their tails between their legs and leaving their women to defend the household."

... ... ... ... ...

Xiang found Lady Yuan in the ancestor's hall as Zhen Ji had said. "Mistress," she said as Lady Yuan pushed the ancestor's table roughly to the side causing the family plaques to crash to the ground. Normally, this was a great insult to the ancestor's, but Lady Yuan didn't seem to care. She got onto her hands and knees and was searching for something on the floor, "we must leave!" They could hear cries from outside, the sound of swords cutting through flesh, and the sound of men laughing. Fear and panic was rushing through her veins as she realized that the Cao army was actually enjoying this slaughter.

"You've been a good faithful servant to us, Xiang." Lady Yuan said in a panicked voice. This was strange to Xiang as it was well known that Lady Yuan hated both her and Zhen Ji. She would often blame things on them and punish them for it. So when Lady Yuan was complimenting her, Xiang knew there would be no good coming out of it. "It is time to prove your worth now Xiang." She said as she found a small groove in the floor and pulled a trap door open. Then she rushed towards the maid and said, "Protect me with your life." before pushing her out of the hall, and slamming the doors shut.

Unprepared for the shove, Xiang fell forward only to bump into something metal. She looked up to confirm her fears and found herself into the arms of a soldier. "Well, look at what we have here." He said with a smirk. "Her eyes are a little strange though, but she looks pretty enough and has a nice body." Xiang tried to break free from him and run, but he easily held her tight. "And she's feisty! We should have fun with her first." He turned to his acquaintances and gestured his head towards the door. "Go check if she has any friends in there."

One of the men kicked the door open just in time to see the trap door close. "Looks like a rat has gone into hiding." He laughed.

Xiang continued to struggle in the soldier's arms. "You can't kill us. You can't kill us." She said over and over again as she attempted to reach into her clothes to pull out the gold plate Zhen Ji gave her, but she could not move against the soldier when he held onto her like a death grip.

The other man easily found a way to open the trap door. There was a scream before his sword drove down towards the sound. The scream turned into an awful gurgle and when the man pulled his sword back up, deep crimson red blood dripped along the blade. Xiang wanted to shut her eyes to burn that image away, but she couldn't even find herself to move anymore.

The soldier threw her to the ground and began creeping towards her like a hungry animal when she remembered how to move again. She fumbled through her clothes, cursing at how many layers there were and praying to the heavens to protect her. The soldier was almost upon her when she felt the cold metal in the folds of her clothes. "You can't kill me!" She shouted as she pulled out the gold plate, holding it up as her life depended on it.

... ... ... ... ...

As Cao Pi entered the Yuan house, he was disgusted by the sight. Bodies were strewn everywhere, screams and shouts could still be heard, and his men paraded the area like animals. He would have to discipline them when they returned. This was not dignified for the Cao army, and he would certainly not be remembered as a ruthless general, but, his distaste for the Yuan family was enough to allow it for the time being. The Yuan family had opposed his father for years now, they deserved what was coming.

Cao Pi had his sword in hand. The blade was still shiny and sharp without a single drop of blood on it. He wasn't going to kill anyone here except her. She must die. He had never met her before, but years ago, when his father had returned home from a trip, he had been bewitched by a girl named Zhen Ji. His father always brought her name up and said she was his star. He talked about how she made the world clear to him. He talked about her so often, Cao Pi's mother cursed her name in disdain once, calling her a whore and a witch. His father had gotten so furious at her, he ordered her to receive 10 beatings with the bamboo stick. After that, she couldn't sit or lie on her back for a whole week because of the pain.

So, when his father had demanded that Zhen Ji be found and brought to him alive before Cao Pi left on this campaign, his mother secretly told him to dispose of her so that his father would come to his senses. Bewitched or not, Cao Pi knew that Zhen Ji must die. If she could make a great man such as his father feel so much after one meeting, she could easily make a whole nation fall to their knees. Such power was too dangerous.

As Cao Pi neared the courtyard, the sound of music could be heard. It was a sad and familiar tune and the closer he got, the more powerful the song sounded. Suddenly, the men around stopped what they were doing and fell to their knees. Some of them began crying as they wailed about missing home. Then it dawned him, the song sang about home. It was one often sung by mothers to their children.

_The witch._ He thought angrily and he entered the courtyard. _Her powers are dangerous._ He reminded himself. _I will not be affected by her magic._

There in the middle of the courtyard, under a beautiful blossoming peach tree, stood a slender woman playing on a flute. She wore a beautiful yellow gown and her long dark hair was pinned up to indicate her married status. Her back was turned, but he instinctively knew this was the woman he had been seeking for.

He didn't bother to sneak towards her. He wanted her to know he was there. He wanted her to know he was coming for her. And most of all, he wanted to see the fear in her eyes as he pierced his sword through her. As he approached her, she continued playing on the wooden flute. He took his sword and rested it on her shoulder, dangerously close to her neck. She stopped playing.

"I seek a woman named Zhen Ji." He said.

"I am Zhen Ji. Wife of Yuan Xi." She said boldly.

"I have come for your head, Zhen Ji."

"Then take it." She said as she turned to face him.

Cao Pi froze for a moment as he saw the beauty in front of him. Her skin was smooth, her lips were luscious, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. She held her head up and Cao Pi could see the slenderness of her swan-like neck. A small beauty mark under her eyes seemed to make her ooze femininity. He had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life before. In his position, as the son of Cao Cao, he could have any woman he wanted. Yet standing in this moment, the only woman he wanted was the one who stood before him, boldly facing death.

"What a shame." He finally said after regaining composure. His purpose here was to kill Zhen Ji. He could not let his resolve falter.

As he swung his sword at her, a voice shouted, "By order of Lord Cao Cao, you cannot kill her!" And in the reflection of his blade, he could see the unmistakable gold plate of his father.


	2. Survival of the Fittest

Author's Note:

As a habit of mine, firstly I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read chapter one. Special thanks to those who included the story in their favourites and are following the story.

**XLadyxLionheartx** – Thank you for the lovely review and PM. I'm happy you're enjoying the story so far and hopefully I can do some justice for your favourite pairing.

**AsteriaLumina** – Thank you for your review, I hope this story will be amazing as you say :)

Hope you all enjoy!

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Chapter 2 – Survival of the Fittest

Li Xiang held the gold plate tightly in both her hands as she lay on the ground. "You can't kill me!" She shouted again at the soldier. Xiang didn't know the true significance of this golden plate. All she knew was that it was most definitely valuable. If Lady Zhen had sold it after her father died, she would have been rich beyond imagination and she wouldn't have had to suffer through with her marriage to Yuan Xi. Instead, Lady Zhen hid the plate and hid it well. She made sure no one would be able to find it, particularly anyone in the Yuan household. She went as so far to make Xiang swear upon the heavens never to mention it to a single soul. There were characters on the gold plate, but Xiang could not read it. While living in the Yuan household, Lady Zhen had taught Xiang basic reading, but these characters were never mentioned.

"You can't kill me." She said a third time.

The soldier laughed loudly in response. "You think that stupid little thing is going to protect you from me?" He laughed again as he held up his bloodied sword for her to see.

"You idiot!" A gruff voice said from behind. A familiar looking burly man approached the group. He raised his arm and smacked the soldier's head so hard; the soldier lost balance and dropped his sword to the ground. "Seize that idiot." He gestured to the other men around.

"General!" The soldier protested as two men grabbed his arm and wrestled him down to the ground onto his knees. "General, I don't understand!"

"That 'stupid little thing' is Lord Cao Cao's gold plate. It grants immunity to the holder." He snorted in discontent. "How dare you disobey our Lord's command. Take him away." He waved his hand to the men, his eyes still stuck on the girl lying on the ground. "Give him 30 beatings. Maybe that will knock some sense into him." The men dragged the soldier away as he continued to shout out apologies and beg for forgiveness. The burly man did not seem to care.

Xiang could not believe she held such a powerful object in her hand. Her heart was still beating hard and fast as she wasn't even sure if she was totally out of harm's way. _Cao Cao._ The man had said. Xiang knew that name; he was a sworn enemy of the Yuan family. Was that the reason Lady Zhen had hid the plate so well?

"Lady Zhen Ji?" The man asked questioningly.

Xiang could not find her voice, but she somehow managed to shake her head.

"How did you come upon this?" He motioned to the plate. Before she could respond, he continued as he realized who she was. "You're that servant girl at the pier, aren't you? Where is your mistress? Where is Lady Zhen?" His voice seemed to change at the mention of her mistress. There was urgency in his tone.

Now she remembered. This burly man was at the pier that day years ago. He was there when the caped man gave the gold plate to Lady Zhen. Xiang gasped in realization. This man knew her mistress had saved his lord! He will help rescue Lady Zhen! "She is in the courtyard!" Xiang quickly pushed herself up and began running towards the courtyard. She could hear the man's stomping as he followed behind her.

_Please hurry, please hurry!_ Xiang begged her feet to go faster. Every moment taken was a moment closer to death for her mistress... if she wasn't killed already.

As Xiang rounded the corner into the courtyard, she saw her lady standing under the peach tree and a man with his sword raised, coming down at her. "By order of Lord Cao Cao, you cannot kill her!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her heart seemed to stop beating when she watched as the sword continue down. "No!" She screamed as she feared the worse.

... ... ... ... ...

Zhen Ji could feel the wind rush past her as she watched the man swing his sword at her. She vaguely heard something in the far distance, but she couldn't make it out between the loud beating of her heart. _This is it._ She thought. She feared death, and it was staring her in the face. But, she never felt the cold metal. Somehow, some reason, the man stopped. The sword was definitely by her neck. She didn't know how someone could stop his motion so suddenly, but she didn't care. She was still alive; at least, for the time being.

A hand touched his shoulder, but Zhen Ji could not look away from Death's eyes. He looked to hold back so many emotions, but there was definitely anger in there; anger against her.

"Pi," the voice said. "She is the one we are seeking."

Finally, Zhen Ji was able to move her gaze away from Death. She saw the burly man beside him. Immediately, she recognized him as one of Cao Cao's men that day on the pier.

"Lady Zhen Ji." He said politely, giving her a slight bow out of respect. Zhen Ji responded in kind, even though she didn't know what was happening. Just then, Xiang came by her side, handing the gold plate back to her. Xiang's clothes were dishevelled and Zhen Ji knew something terrible must have happened, but at least she was still alive. "My name is Cao Ren." He said. "And this is master Cao Pi." He gestured to Death.

"Hmph." Cao Pi swung his sword to the side as if venting out anger before turning around and taking a few steps away from them.

"Lord Cao Cao has requested for your audience."

"Lord Cao Cao?" Zhen Ji repeated. She was still in shock trying to get over what had just happened, but Cao Ren misunderstood her words and thought she did not remember who it was.

"Yes, Lord Cao Cao. Do you remember when we met at the pier 10 years ago? You had given Lord Cao Cao some... advice. And in return, he presented you with that gold plate."

"Yes." Zhen Ji nodded slightly. "I do remember."

"You made quite the impression on our lord and he has invited you to return with us to Wei."

Zhen Ji nodded, feeling a little steadier. Her heart wasn't beating nearly as fast. "I would love that." She responded, knowing that there was no choice in the matter. The men were about to move out before she spoke again. "I beg of you master Cao Pi, general Cao Ren, please stop this bloodshed. The people here are innocent. They do not deserve this. Yuan Shao and Yuan Xi have not stepped foot in this house for the past 3 years. Please."

There was a long pause before anyone spoke. Cao Ren knew she spoke the truth, but he could not respond. He was not the commanding officer.

"Please master Cao Pi, I beg of you!" Zhen Ji fell to her knees, pleadingly. Xiang followed suit.

Cao Pi turned around to face her. His heart faltered for a brief moment as he could sense the pain and desperate emotions the beautiful woman before him felt. He recovered quickly and gave an inaudible scoff. "Tell the men to fall back."

"Thank you." Zhen Ji said softly.

... ... ... ... ... ...

As the men marched Zhen Ji to the horses, she quietly whispered to her companion. "Were you..." Zhen Ji couldn't even finish her sentence, but she looked over to Xiang's dishevelled clothes.

Xiang shook her head. "No."

"And what of... Lady Yuan Shao?"

Xiang wanted to tell her the truth. She wanted to tell her that the horrible woman fed her to the dogs. She wanted to tell her that she got what she deserved. But Xiang knew she couldn`t. Lady Zhen Ji was a kind-hearted person and if she knew what almost happened to Xiang because of it... Zhen Ji would never be able to forgive herself. "I'm sorry my lady, I didn't make it in time."

Zhen Ji gave a weak smile. "I'm a horrible daughter-in-law." She mumbled inaudibly. "I don't even feel sad for her."

As they approached the horses, Cao Ren offered his hand to help her on his horse. She hesitated as she reached her hand out, but stopped suddenly when Cao Pi spoke.

"No. I will take her." His tone frightened her. It sounded almost... demanding. "After all," he continued. "Lady Zhen is _my_ father's guest of honour." Obediently, and with no choice in the matter, Zhen Ji stepped towards Cao Pi's horse. He already mounted his horse and in one swift motion, grabbed her arm and pulled her up in front of him. She gave a slight gasp in surprise.

"My lady!" Xiang stepped towards her, as if to try to protect her. Cao Ren blocked her path with one arm.

"Lady Zhen, we mustn't keep Lord Cao Cao waiting." He said as he pushed Xiang away. Two soldiers grabbed her arms to hold her back.

"Wait!" Zhen Ji exclaimed. "Where I go, she goes." She could feel Cao Pi's steely gaze on her as she remembered the precarious situation she was in. How could a hostage make demands? "She is my personal maid. She must attend to me." Silently, Zhen Ji apologized to Xiang. She knew she was being selfish and she knew wherever they were going was not safe, but she was afraid, and she did not want to be alone. She needed someone she could trust with her.

"Hmph. Uncle, take the maid with you. She'll only slow us down if she walks." Before waiting for a response, Cao Pi kicked his horse. "Yah!"

_This man,_ Zhen Ji thought to herself, _frightens me._

A few days later, after a long and arduous journey on horseback, Zhen Ji arrived in Luoyang. The kingdom of Wei was very different from what she was used to. She grew up surrounded by poverty. Though her family ran their own business and she, herself, was never quite subjugated to poverty, she knew what it looked like. Beggars often came banging on their doors asking for food. When her mother was alive, she often would respond kindly to them and offer a steamed bun or two whenever they could. Zhen Ji learned from an early age, that life was precious, no matter who you were. During a famine one year, her mother opened their rice storage and gave everyone a bag of rice. It was because of her mother`s kindness that when their family business failed, their home was not ransacked and the people did not steal from them. Instead, her father was able to sell all their belongings in order to come up with a sufficient dowry for her marriage. She knew her father made a difficult decision, but it was either marriage, or to live on the streets.

As she passed through the streets of Luoyang, she could not see poverty in this city. Every dressed well in fine silk, the streets were clean, and even the buildings looked large and magnificent. The people looked plump and well fed. She could not find one person scrounging for food. Was this all because of Wei`s influence?

"Welcome home, master Cao Pi." A guard saluted as they approach a magnificent household, much larger than all the other ones in the city. A large plaque with gold letters emblazoned on it hung above the doorway. _Cao Household_.

Cao Pi dismounted from the horse first and headed towards the door. Zhen Ji remained seated on the horse, unsure of how to dismount gracefully. She never had to dismount herself; there was always someone to help her down.

Luckily, Cao Ren noticed her hesitation and once he had helped Xiang off his horse, he proceeded to help her. "Thank you general." She gave a polite bow to him when she was on the ground again. Cao Pi had turned around to see. She didn't notice when he had stopped and began watching her, but the look in his eyes was not a good sign. "Useless woman." He mumbled.

She hurriedly straightened the hem of her dress and followed Cao Pi along with Cao Ren and Xiang.

"Lord Cao Cao requests your presence immediately." Another guard said as they approached an inner door.

This was not a request, it was a demand. There was no choice in the matter, but Zhen Ji knew she could not face Cao Cao just yet. "Please send my apologies to Lord Cao Cao." She began in a noble and polite tone. "I need a bath and new clothes first."

Cao Pi was not pleased. He grabbed the front of her clothes and pulled her face so close towards his, she could feel his warm breath on her. "Father does not wait." He sneered at her.

Boldly, Zhen Ji repeated herself. "I need a bath and new clothes."

They remained in that position for a few moments longer before Cao Pi released his grip. "Get her what she needs." He growled at the cowering servants and stomped away.

"My maid will need new clothes as well." Cao Pi did not respond and was soon out of sight.

The servants were quick and soon Zhen Ji was in her room soaking in a hot bath. New clothes were brought in for both Zhen Ji and Xiang. As Xiang helped her lady wash, she asked, "My lady, forgive me for asking, but was it wise to disobey Lord Cao Cao's orders?"

"Xiang." She said, without facing her maid. "What colours were Cao Pi and his men dressed in."

"Purple, my lady." She responded, not sure why she had changed the subject so suddenly.

"And what colours were we wearing?"

"Yellow, my lady." Xiang began to realize the true meaning of Lady Zhen's questions. "The colours of the Yuan household."

"Yes. To appear in front of Lord Cao Cao donned in his enemy's colours will be worse than appearing flighty and naive." She turned to face her only friend and whispered so quietly, Xiang had to strain to hear what she said. "We are not safe here Xiang. Everything we do, everything we say, and anything we wear will be heavily scrutinized. We will be constantly judged. They will never trust us and will find anything to... get rid of us."

"What do we do?" Xiang asked shakily.

"What we have always been doing. Find a way to survive."

... ... ... ... ... ...

Shortly after, Zhen Ji and Xiang entered the throne hall escorted by a few of Cao Cao's guards. Both women kept their heads down as they followed the men to the middle of the room. Just as they stopped, both fell down to their knees to beg for forgiveness.

"My sincerest apologies, my Lord Cao Cao." Zhen Ji said, her head so low to the ground, her forehead touched the floor. "I was worn out from travel and unbefitting to meet a great Lord such as yourself. I could not shame myself to disrespect you and appear before you in my rags." While Zhen Ji was dressing earlier, she repeated the words she would say to him. She knew how to deal with men like him. Men in general, especially one in such a powerful position, loved to get their ego stroked. But some men were more resilient than others. She only hoped that Cao Cao would forgive her.

There was a long moment of silence before a smile crept on Cao Cao's face. "Rise my little Zhen Ji, there is no need for that. This home is your home now."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Zhen Ji raised her head and for once, saw all those in the room. In front of her, sat Cao Cao in a large throne dressed in his regal purple attire. To his right, sitting in a much smaller throne was a woman about Cao Cao's age. The heavy headdress she wore symbolized she was the Lord's first wife. Or at least, his current first wife. She wore a scowl on her face, and Zhen Ji sensed immediate hostility from her. To Cao Cao's left, sitting on a regular chair was another woman, slightly younger than Cao Cao. She was much prettier than his first wife, and from her attire, Zhen Ji guessed that she must be his favourite concubine. She had such a bright smile on her face, it seemed fake. Sitting to the right were Cao Pi, two other men, and a young lady. Judging from their attire, and since Cao Pi sat among them, Zhen Ji guessed they were some of Cao Cao's children. To their opposite sat several men, amongst them was Cao Ren.

"I don't think she's little anymore!" The concubine spoke out in a high-pitched, overly friendly tone. "Look at her! It must have been years since you've seen her, my Lord. She's grown into such a beautiful lady! Isn't that right, sister?" She looked over to the first wife.

The first wife did not respond, but kept her steely eyes on Zhen Ji. _She must be Cao Pi's mother_. Zhen Ji thought to herself as she recognized the same mannerisms.

"Indeed." Cao Cao said as he stroked his beard, eyes glued on Zhen Ji. "I hope Pi treated you well."

"Yes, my Lord. He is a gentleman of great caliber." During her time living with the Yuans, Zhen Ji learned that living with nobles was a game of survival. If you played your cards right, you could survive. Amongst nobles, words were weapons. If you did not know how to use them, you would easily be stabbed in the back.

The first wife glanced at Cao Pi briefly before resuming her death glare on Zhen Ji. Cao Pi, on the other hand, just kept his gaze on her trying to read the meaning of her words.

"Of course he is!" The concubine chimed in. "Pi is _such_ a gentleman. Of course, we have heard many great things about you too, Zhen Ji. Your beauty is unparalleled! I'm sure Pi treated you _very_ well. After all, he is quite fond of beautiful women." She gave a big smile to the first wife. Her words must have hit a nerve with the first wife as her death glare moved from Zhen Ji to the concubine. Although Zhen Ji and Xiang were strangers to the Cao family, it was clear there was tension between the two wives.

"Any man would be fond of Zhen Ji." Cao Cao spoke out. His words silenced his wives and even his first wife's glare subsided to a shocked expression. The concubine dropped her smile and even looked away.

As if on cue, to break what would have been a very awkward silence, a messenger called out from the entrance, requesting an audience. Cao Cao gestured the guards to allow him in. The messenger, probably no older than 14, came in and knelt down beside Zhen Ji and presented a scroll to Cao Cao.

"News from General Xiahou Yuan. Yuan Shao and his son, Yuan Xi have been defeated in Guandu."

One of the men sitting with Cao Ren, the man wearing a turban, took the scroll and handed it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao unrolled it and read it silently. A moment later, he burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha ha!" He laughed out as he stroked his beard. "Yuan Shao has finally been defeated! Ha ha ha!" The generals all joined in his laughter.

"Oh what a joyous day this is!" The concubine clapped her hands in excitement. "The death of the Yuans and my Lord reuniting with Zhen Ji! The heavens smile down upon you, my Lord!"

"Indeed, my love! What a joyous day this is! We must celebrate this occasion! Tomorrow we shall have a grand feast! Zhen Ji, my dear, you will come join us!"

Zhen Ji gave a polite smile. There was no way she could decline, given her situation. And even though she barely knew Yuan Xi, technically, they were still husband and wife. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a little sad hearing that he had died. Maybe it was because in the years she lived in the Yuan household before they officially were married, he was the only one who had been nice to her. Maybe, if he hadn't been so sick, they would have actually been true husband and wife.

"But my Lord, tomorrow is my birthday." The first wife protested.

"Ah," Cao Cao remembered. "then we will celebrate both at once!"

"My Lord, my wish is to celebrate it with _family_." She said, enunciating the word as she flashed a stern look at both Zhen Ji and the concubine. "Besides, I'm sure Zhen Ji will be mourning for the death of her _husband_."

It was a direct attack at Zhen Ji. Although Cao Cao seemed to disregard the fact that she was technically a Yuan, his first wife purposely reminded everyone that an enemy still remained. There was nothing Zhen Ji could say to defend herself. If she denied it, it would be a lie and they would look down on her as she could easily be branded disloyal.

"He is no husband to my lady! He shouldn't even be considered as a man!" Xiang suddenly burst out. _Survive, she said._ Xiang reminded herself. The girl knew her lady was trapped by the old hag, but she also knew Cao Cao favored Zhen Ji and Xiang's measly life depended on Zhen Ji's survival. She knew they both had to remain in Cao Cao's good books if they were to survive this. And whatever slander she could put on Yuan, she would do it in place of her lady.

"Be silent Xiang." Zhen Ji said as she held her hand out at Xiang. Maids and servants had no right to speak out like that and would likely be punished for it, but Zhen Ji was thankful her maid was clever enough to speak on her behalf.

"My Lord, Zhen Ji looks weary. Traveling is hard for a lady and she must rest." The concubine said in her defense. Zhen Ji was unsure of why the concubine was helping her, but she knew the concubine would demand for the debt to be repaid one day. These were the people that were most untrustworthy.

Cao Cao nodded his head as he continued to stroke his beard thoughtfully, his gaze now on Xiang.

... ... ... ... ...

Cao Pi stood in his mother's bedchambers as she took a sip of tea, trying hard to calm herself. He knew why he had been summoned by his mother, but he did not say a word.

"That whore!" His mother finally said. Cao Pi knew she was talking about Consort Chen, his father's favorite concubine. "Her words are so fake! I can't understand why your father is so enamoured by her! Thank the heavens she could not be blessed with sons." Bad mouthing her always seemed to cheer his mother up a bit. "And the nerve of her to bring up your indiscretions in front of everyone!"

Cao Pi flinched slightly at her words. Not all of Consort Chen's words were false. He recently had a fling with salt merchant's daughter. She was very pretty and he had... deflowered her. He lost interest in her soon after, and she began to slander his name. His father paid a heavy sum to her and her family and they were never seen again.

"I will find out what cards that whore is playing by helping out that Zhen Ji. I don't have it in me to fight another adversary; especially one so young!" His mother took another sip of tea. "Pi, my dear son, tell me what happened."

He knew she meant why Zhen Ji was brought back alive. "Forgive me, mother, I have failed you. I could not kill her."

"Don't tell me you have fallen for that witch?"

"No mother." Cao Pi couldn't tell her the truth that he hesitated to kill her. He couldn't tell her that he wanted her. "She carried father's gold plate."

"What?!" His mother stood up in anger before laughing in disbelief. "What powers she must have to be able to get your father's immunity. It is not your fault, Pi. There is nothing you could have done." She laughed again in disbelief. "I have underestimated her."

_Indeed. What powers she must have._ Cao Pi thought.

Cao Pi couldn't stop thinking about her. And it frustrated him that he couldn't get that woman out of his mind. From the very moment he laid eyes on her, he felt a desire to possess her; to have her all for himself. Even when they were leaving Yecheng and his uncle had offered to have her ride with him, he felt almost... jealous that another man would touch her. He couldn't understand these feelings she stirred inside him.

"It is getting late. Your mother has had enough excitement in one day."

"Goodnight mother." Cao Pi politely bowed to her before leaving her bedchambers.

Two maids stood outside the bedchambers. One was a petite woman, barely reaching Cao Pi's shoulders. The other was slightly taller, but much more curvaceous. Just as they saw Cao Pi leave, they both scrambled into the bedchambers to aid his mother to bed. As the shorter one closed the doors behind her, Cao Pi could hear his mother giving them commands to prepare for the next day.

A soft breeze blew past Cao Pi reminding him the smell of Zhen Ji's perfumed hair as they rode out of Yecheng towards home. He closed his eyes as he remembered how soft and delicate she felt in his arms. They didn't speak a word to each other the whole time, but he remembered the slight gasps she made whenever the horse jumped or when they were riding too fast. He touched his cheek lightly as he remembered several strands of her hair brushing against his face when it loosened because of the wind. A slight smile crept on his face before he realized he was daydreaming about her. He shook his head to mentally shake the image from his mind.

A scowl returned._ What is wrong with me? Why am I so infatuated with a single woman?!_ _ I am Cao Pi! I can have any woman I want_. He thought angrily to himself.

The doors behind him opened and the curvaceous maid stepped out. She closed the doors and gave a polite bow to Cao Pi. "Goodnight, master Cao Pi." She said before heading off.

"What is your name?" He asked before she could take two steps.

"Shi Shi, master."

"How would you like to accompany your master to bed?" It was a rhetorical question. She was just a maid. She had no choice in the matter.

The girl's cheeks flushed pink as she lowered her head to hide her embarrassment; a big smile on her face.

_Yes, I can have any woman I want._ Cao Pi reminded himself. _And I will start with this one._

... ... ... ... ...

That night, in her new surroundings, Zhen Ji was unable to get a peaceful rest. Instead she was thrashing about, mumbling in her sleep before she suddenly sprang up with sweat dripping down her face. Her breathing was ragged and heavy. She stayed in a sitting position trying to control her breathing. Her hands moved towards her neck to make sure her head was still in place.

_It was a just a dream_. She finally realized._ It felt so real..._ She looked at her hands in the dim moonlight that slipped into her room. There was nothing on them except for her sweat. _He killed me._ She thought to herself as she remembered the horrible nightmare she just had. _I could feel the cold blade going through my neck. He killed me._ Although her breathing was slowing, her heart still beat faster than normal. _Yuan Xi killed me._

In her dream, she was under the peach tree, playing her flute when she felt a cold blade rest on her shoulder against her neck. When she turned around, it wasn't Cao Pi who stood before her, it was Yuan Xi. 'A disloyal wife must die.' He said. She dreamt that she fell to her knees, begging for forgiveness, but her words were falling on deaf ears. Yuan Xi only repeated those 5 words over and over again as he swung his sword at her. She felt the cold metal going through neck.

Abruptly, she got up to go to the table. She lit the candle and taking a stack of white paper, she began folding paper boats.

... ... ... ... ...

"I don't understand why we are doing this, my lady." Xiang asked her mistress the next night as she helped her carry hundreds of paper boats.

"Xiang, we must send our prayers to all those who have died to honour their lives." Zhen Ji was gathering up candles she had found.

"But aren't they enemies of Cao Cao?"

"Yes. But they were still people. Whether they were friends or foes, we must respect their lives. Did you find out which garden we will be sending our prayers through?"

"The maid, Wumei, told me the eastern gardens have a splendid pond."

"Good, then that is where we will go." The two women gathered all their stuff and headed towards the eastern gardens. The corridors were empty as most of the servants were busy attending to Lady Bian's birthday, who clearly made it known that Zhen Ji was not invited.

When they came upon the gardens, they could see how lavish it was. Trees and flowers surrounded the garden and a beautiful pavilion could be seen from one of the entrances. The pavilion looked to be decorated in gold and sheltered a marble table and seats. The word 'pond' seemed like an understatement of what it was. It was huge and had streams meandering out like rivers. On one end, there was a small waterfall running quietly. The pond had water lilies floating all over and Chinese Koi could be seen in them.

"Wow." Xiang muttered to herself. She had never seen such beauty before, even in the Yuan household.

When Zhen Ji began lighting the candles, Xiang realized she was just standing there gawking at the scenery. She quickly took Zhen Ji's spot and methodically began lighting a candle, placing it on a boat and handing it to her lady. Zhen Ji then took the boats and placed them into the pond and gave a light push for it to float to the other end.

"We pray to you so that you may ferry your way through the afterlife and be born again." Zhen Ji prayed to each boat she placed in the water. Silently, she prayed to Yuan Xi to forgive her so he would stop haunting her dreams.

... ... ... ... ...

Cao Pi could see his mother smiling brightly that night after dinner. In the corner of his eye, he could see her maid, Shi Shi, glancing at him with a sheepish grin on her face. _What a bother_. He thought to himself, ignoring her subtle advances.

"Ah! What a wonderful day!" His mother announced. "Perhaps we can take a stroll in the gardens?" She asked Cao Cao. It was rare for him to be able to spend so much time with her, given his position, but it was these rare times that Lady Bian felt happiest. Nowadays, this only occurred on her birthday.

"Pi, Zhang, and Zhi will escort you, my wife. I have business to attend." Cao Cao replied, referring to their sons.

"Oh." The disappointment in her tone was unmistakeable, but Cao Cao ignored it. She was simply his wife, nothing more to it. He did not love her like he loved Consort Chen and Lady Bian knew that. The only reason she had a higher social status than Consort Chen was because she was fortunate enough to bear him sons.

Without another word, Cao Cao departed from her. The smile on her face faded quickly.

"Mother, we will gladly walk with you in the gardens." Cao Zhi offered quickly, sensing his mother's downtrodden mood. Zhi was the youngest of the brothers and also the smallest. Unlike his older brothers, he was slender and did not know the art of war. Instead, his talents lay in the literary arts. He was a renowned poet and a scholar through and through.

Lady Bian forced a smile. "That would be lovely."

The moment they stepped into the gardens, they could hear a slow sad song playing. "Who dares to play funeral songs on my birthday?!"

Furious, Lady Bian stomped towards the sound of the music. Just as she came to the pond where Zhen Ji sat, playing her flute. Zhen Ji immediately stopped to stand up and give a polite bow. Lady Bian looked over to her pond and saw hundreds of paper boats floating in the pond.

"How dare you disgrace me like this!"

"I'm terribly sorry Lady..." Zhen Ji began, but was cut off by the fuming Lady Bian.

"Sink the boats!" She gestured to her maids. They scurried to find a pole or long stick to sink the boats. "How dare you disgrace Wei by sending your prayers to our enemies! You rotten witch! You are spying on us aren't you?!" Enraged, Lady Bian stepped towards Zhen Ji, raised one hand and slapped her across the face.

All the servants gave a slight gasp in surprise. Even her sons stood there slightly dumbfounded by what had happened. Zhen Ji was so shocked she couldn't even feel the stinging on her cheek. She could not even bring her head up to face Lady Bian.

"You did this on purpose!" Lady Bian continued to accuse. "You purposely came into _my_ garden to ruin _my_ birthday!"

"I'm sorry. I did not know..." Zhen Ji tried to explain herself, but Lady Bian would have none of it.

"That whore set you to do this didn't she? Are you working for Consort Chen?!"

"No..."

"I know what you're trying to do. You won't win. I've had a lifetime of experience living within these walls." She motioned around her. "I know how to play this game. You will never win. Just like that whore, you will never be able to rise up above me." Suddenly Lady Bian reached out and grabbed Zhen Ji's wooden flute and in one swift motion, she broke it in half and tossed it behind her into a bush.

Zhen Ji gasped. "No!" She stepped forward, trying to reach the bush to get her flute back but Lady Bian blocked her way.

Lady Bian raised her hand again, about to slap Zhen Ji again, but was stopped suddenly when Cao Pi grabbed her arm. His mother looked at him questionably and almost accusingly.

"Mother, it is your special day. It would not be right for you to be so angry. Let us go to the pavilion and enjoy some tea." Cao Pi's voice seemed to calm her down a little. She lowered her arms and brusquely turned around, everyone following her but Cao Pi.

"You should return to your bedchambers." He raised his hand and gently touched her stinging cheek. His cold hand felt nice against her burning skin. Keeping his eyes on her, he addressed Xiang. "Make sure you tend to Lady Zhen." He said, referring to her cheek.

He brushed the back of his fingers on her cheek as if to wipe away the pain. "I'll take care of mother." He then turned around and followed the rest to the pavilion.

Zhen Ji touched her cheek where he had. _What was that about?_

... ... ... ... ...

A few hours later, in the dead of night, Zhen Ji and Xiang returned to the eastern gardens armed only with a lantern. A cloak wrapped around Zhen Ji to keep her warm as she thoroughly examined the bush where her broken flute should have been.

"I can't find it Xiang!" She bemoaned.

"I'm sorry my lady, but we should retire for the night. It is getting too dark to see anything. I will try again tomorrow morning when the sun is out."

Zhen Ji felt a sharp pang in her heart. "I need it back. That's the only thing I have left of my mother."

"I know my lady. We'll find it tomorrow, don't worry." Xiang said as she led her mistress back.

... ... ... ... ...

As Xiang prepared to go to bed that night, two guards suddenly barged into her room. Startled and only in a thin nightgown, Xiang grabbed the nearest object to her and threw it in their direction in an attempt to thwart them. The hairbrush went flying past them as they easily dodged it.

"What is the meaning of this? Who are you? What are you doing here?" She shouted in panic as she grabbed her blanket to cover herself. Her eyes surveyed her immediate vicinity for any sharp weapon.

"Lord Cao Cao demands to see you, immediately." One man spoke.

Xiang's heart raced. _Why would Cao Cao want to see me?_ She thought hard to see if she could remember anything that happened that would cause this sudden disturbance. _Was it because of the paper boats?!_ She worried. _He's angry. He's going to kill me. Then he's going to kill Lady Zhen. We're dead. We're dead._ Her mind kept repeating.

"Hurry girl, Lord Cao Cao does not wait for others." The other man turned around and stood out the door to wait for her.

Xiang, still lost and scared of her thoughts, obediently began to follow them. Her thoughts were scattered as she was trying to find a good excuse to say to Cao Cao. The man who had spoke stopped her in his tracks and scoffed in disgust. "Put on a robe, nobody wants to see you in your nightgown." Xiang hadn't even realized she had begun to walk with her blanket wrapped around her. Hastily, she dropped it and grabbed her robe hanging on the chair and put it on.

Soon, Xiang was being led through the gardens and through the corridors and finally to a set of doors leading to Cao Cao's bedchambers. A new fear crossed her mind. _His bedchambers!_ _ He's not going to... to... to... ..._ Even in her thoughts, she couldn't put the words in. _Men are pigs! _ She reminded herself. _Remember what those soldiers wanted to do to when they stormed the Yuan household?!_ She clutched the front of her robe tightly. _Only this time, no golden plate can save me._

"Lord Cao Cao, the maid, Xiang is here." One of the men said as he knocked on the door.

"Come in." A voice replied.

They opened the door and Xiang could see Cao Cao sitting behind a desk with a few scrolls rolled out. He was in his nightgown and had a heavy cloak on his shoulders to keep him warm. There was another man standing in front of the desk, going over the scrolls with him. He wore the purple colors of Wei. His shoulder length hair was loose and partially hidden under a turban he wore. He turned around when Xiang stepped in and she could see his thin mustache and beard were neatly trimmed. She remembered seeing him in the throne hall yesterday when she and Lady Zhen arrived. She deduced he must be an advisor of sorts.

"Pardon my intrusion, my Lord." Xiang said politely as she fell to her knees and bowed down.

"I should take my leave then." The turban man said as he was about to take a step towards the door.

"No, Jia Xu, I want you to hear what she has to say." Cao Cao motioned for the two guards to close the door. The turban man nodded and stood to the side. "You must have learned your manners from Zhen Ji." Cao Cao said.

At the mention of her lady's name, Xiang felt a wave of relief rush past her. Cao Cao wasn't interested in her, he was interested in her lady! If she could deflect all the attention on her lady, she would be safe! The idea of deflecting all the attention to Zhen Ji made Xiang feel guilty. She couldn't do that to her lady. She had sworn to protect her. _Lord Cao Cao seems to favour Lady Zhen... so if I paint a brilliant picture of her, she will be safe and in turn, so will I._ Xiang rationed. _So the best thing to do now is to feed Cao Cao more of Lady Zhen's wonderfulness._

"Yes, Lady Zhen has taught me many things since she saved my life those many years ago."

"Ah, yes." Cao Cao agreed. "She has saved many." He touched his head with one hand. Xiang knew he was thinking back to the day he had met her. "Tell me; yesterday in the throne room you said Yuan Xi is no husband. What did you mean by that?"

_The Yuan household are enemies to Cao Cao. _She reminded herself before speaking. "I mean exactly what I said, my Lord." She paused for a brief moment before adding, "I don't think they were truly ever husband and wife."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Xiang smiled ever so slightly to herself. She knew she had piqued his interest in a good way. "Well, they were supposedly 'married' for three years and Lady Zhen hasn't seen him for three years as he stayed in You Province and we remained in Yecheng." That was mostly true. They saw him for a month after the wedding and they actually lived in the Yuan household for several years before the wedding after Zhen Ji's father had passed away. Due to the marriage arrangement, Yuan Shao felt obligated to care for Zhen Ji. But Cao Cao didn't need to know that.

"Why would he want to separate from his lovely wife?" Cao Cao asked in suspicion.

"Yuan Xi was a very sickly person. He fell severely ill and was transported to the You Province as there were better doctors there. As the new mistress of the household, Lady Zhen was to remain in Yecheng to maintain the household." This was true, but Xiang didn't want to include the actual reason why Zhen Ji remained in Yecheng. Lady Yuan blamed Zhen Ji as she believed Yuan Xi's illness got worse after they married. She didn't want Zhen Ji to further affect his health by being near him. Xiang knew better than to tell Cao Cao this as it was considered a bad omen.

"Hmmm." He said as he stroked his beard, digesting the information.

Xiang knew Cao Cao was looking for more information; better information. "They never consummated their marriage." She said in a desperate attempt to gain his favour.

Cao Cao stopped stroking his beard and looked at Xiang carefully. He was studying her every word and even the slightest movements to see if she spoke the truth. _This is it._ She thought to herself. _This is what he's looking for._ "How do you know?" He finally said.

"I was there with Lady Zhen on her wedding night. I have been with Lady Zhen every night since she saved me so many years ago. They never consummated their marriage. They never slept in the same room. In fact, they didn't even perform the wedding ceremony together. Yuan Xi was so sickly, he couldn't even carry her from the palanquin, he couldn't bow to the ancestors, and he couldn't even walk! Lady Zhen performed the ceremony with a straw doll dressed in his clothes!" This was all true and it was something no noble lady would want to admit because it was embarrassing and shameful that a husband could not perform his duties.

"A straw doll, you say?"

"Yes. The matchmaker carried the doll on her back and acted in Yuan Xi's place during the ceremony. On the wedding night, Lady Zhen had to sleep beside the doll as a way to consummate their marriage. But Lady Zhen and Yuan Xi never physically shared a bed. Shortly after their marriage, Yuan Xi left for You Province."

Cao Cao laughed out loud. "A straw doll?" He laughed again. "This is most excellent." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Indeed, this is excellent." It seemed he was saying to himself. Whatever the reason, Xiang knew it was a good sign though. He waved his hand at her. "You are dismissed."

She bowed low to him as she exited. "I bid my Lord, goodnight."

When she finally returned back to her room, Xiang let out a sigh of relief. They survived another day, but how long will it last?


End file.
